Escape
by CrowsGurl
Summary: Once upon a time there was a prince who was sent away from his castle with a new identity -that of a peasant girl- and a knight. He doesn't know why or where, just that he will be aloud to come home some time soon.. hopefully. M/D Slash AU better then sum
1. Introduction

It was pitch black outside; sky overcast with charcoal colored clouds as it threatened to release a down-pour of the centuries. Everything was completely silence, almost as though building the suspense and waiting with baited breath for the first raindrop. Yet it seemed to hesitate, leaving the grounds dusty and dry.

There were hushed figures moving about the main corridors of the castle, one dressed in an expensive gown and the other, smaller one in what looked to be the tattered remains of a peasant girl's clothes. The mother was busy forcing tears back from her eyes as she led her child, the prince, who's life had been threatened to the point of having to send him away, towards the doors. "Gua'd," she muttered hoarsly, getting one of the armored peronel's attention. "Go 'n fetch 'im.. Si' Niccals.." Queen Racheal trailed off, her ring-clad fingers diggingin into her son's shoulders.

"M-mum? Why do ah 'a-ave ta leave?" Prince Stuart, as the blunette was called, whimpered up to his mother. He wasn't informed of the near-death experiences he was completely innocent of and was instead told he was being sent on a little 'vacation' with a friend of his mothers.

"Hush.. mothe' 'as he' wreasons.." Raheal replied, stroking his hair. "Now, while yewr on this vacation, you' name is 'Elizabeth', y'hea'? 'n yewr a li'l peasant gi'l fwom tha village.." Her voice was full of pain, which had tears glimmering in the confused princes' eyes.

"O-okay.."

The guard's heavy metalic footsteps echoed as he made his way through the empty expansive halls towards the knight's quarters. The Queen had taken a liking to the youth and had gone so far as to give him his own rather nicely furnished room and a slave or two. He paused at the door, standing at attention as he knocked on the old wood.

"Si' Niccals, he' majesty hath summoned thee." His voice was brisk and serious as he stepped back a bit from the door and waited.

Sir Niccals, Murdoc to those who knew him personally, opened the door and stepped out, his heavy metal armor clinking noisily. "I shall go hencefo'th," he said, taking off down the hall at a sprint.

Arriving at the front door, the knight stopped and stood at attention. "Ma'am?" he asked, awaiting orders from the Queen.

Murdoc saw a girl next to the Queen, but his training disallowed him to ask who it was.

Stuart, or Elizabeth as he'd been newly renamed, had her head lowered in a near-shameful manner and her hands clasped behind her back. She had tears in her eyes that were brimming and almost begging to be released, but she knew her mother was having trouble enough doing this.

"Si' Niccals," the Queen started in a regal, commanding voice. "I 'ave a _very_ impo'tant mission fo' you. It will keep you away from 'ome fo' an unknown perios of time but I have no one else I could trust with such a task."

Elizabeth sniffled, getting a look from her mother that looked almost belittling. She shrunk back, head bowed further as a tear edged ever-closer to falling.

Even though he felt bad for the girl, Murdoc still had his civil duties to do. "Yes, You' Majesty. I accept this task. May I ask what it is, You' Majesty?" he asked, never dropping his head from attention.

"You see this peasan' gi'l?" She motioned towards Elizabeth, not givng Murdoc time to reply as she continued, "I am intrusting you to take he' fa' out into the country 'n find a safe fa'm ta stay in. Do not question why, fo' I will take it as a show of the utmost disrespect. You will be leaving tonight, as soon as you a'e ready."

Elizabeth wiped at her eyes; glancing down at her glimmering hands. The tears reflected the flickering light coming from a few lanturns the guards standing near them were holding and, for reasons that were hidden deep inside of her, Elizabeth felt a pure sort of fear climbing up her throat as they glinted in the fire-light.

Murdoc nodded. "Yes, You' Majesty." He took Elizabeth by the hand and led her to the carriage. "I trust tha' yew'e ready, m'lady?" he asked, showing respect to even the most unfortunate of souls.

The girl remained silent, face tilted towards the ground and her shoulders trembling. She slipped her thin hand from his grip and clambered into the back of the carriage; a small hiccup escaping her lips as her tears finally started to trail down her snow-white cheeks.

Almost simultaneously the clouds seemed to find their hesitations drowned and opened like a floodgate. Rain poured down in large, fast drops as it thuroughly soaked everything within a few moments. Elizabeth was already safely inside the carriage, cyring siletnly as she tried to puzzle together what had so suddenly made her mother force a new identity upon her and cast her out with someone she didn't know to go somewhere far away..

Murdoc nodded, knowing that he wasn't supposed to get mad at women or civilians. He got into the front seat and ordered the driver to go. 

Meanwhile, out in the country, a small slave worked in the barn. She was in the process of brushing her favorite horse-an old Arabian with gray speckled hair-when lightning struck, causing him to buck up and kick her in the face with his hoof, leaving a nasty cut and not to mention a bruise..

A boy in his teens with wild dark hair and flashing green eyes stepped into the stables; the reins of a sleek, black as night stalion in his hand. Nathaniel, as he was named, brushed a hand lovingly over its soft nose affectionately as he walked it back to its stall. He noticed the girl on the girl and hurriedly put his horse away.

"Yew awright, miss?" Nathaniel inquired as he stopped by her side and pushed her bangs from her face to get a better look. She was one of his father's many slaves and he knew that they weren't equipped to handle such an injury, not to mention the rage his father would express if one of them was caught treating her.

She looked up at him through blurry eyes. "Yeah, 'm fine. I jus' love ge'in' kicked by ho'ses. 's my favowri'e pass time activity," she said, subtle sarcasm in her voice. The small girl sat up, not likingthe way blood gushed down her face. "Woll, tha's no' good..."

Nathaniel payed her sarcasm no mind as he stood up and hurried into a small room in the back of the stables. He returned with a moist rag and some gauze, which he sat down and used to start dressing her wounds.

"Thank yew," she said, sitting still so he could fix her wounds. She still felt horrible, but at least someone was talking to her. She seemedto be the least favorite of all the slaves, seeing as noone was allowedto talkwith her, and she got the longest and most brutal beatings of all of them.

The elder boy kept his silence, tying off the bandage and returning it to its rightful place in the back room. He wasn't in a mood to talk, truth be told, and though he knew it was wrong to treat slaves with disrespect as they were just as human as himself, but it was something instilled in him by his terrible sperm-donor he had dubbed 'father'. The man was a wretch and spent his days lazing about and beating the slaves for fun. One day Nate hoped to inherate them and show them what a kind master could do for them.

She stood up. "Fine, 'en. Be tha' way," she said, walking back over to the horse. "S'okay, Ches'nu'. Theh ligh'nin' di'n' mean i'," she said, petting his nose.

Nathaniel brushed his raven hair from his face, not looking back as he finished taking care of his stallion. He turned, once finished, and left the barn; doors still ajar as the tell-tale dripping of water echoed through them and faded into the silence of the barn.

**this is an AU RP between me (*PsycoChic4eva) and my booday (~PuffyReptar) on dA! We're workin super hard on it and we really hope everyone enjoys! feedback is much loved X3 **

**oh and if you couldn't tell, it's a middle ages sort of thing! Stu is gunna be refered to as Elizabeth unless something important comes up and he has to resume his real identity- temporarily or otherwise. **


	2. Oh Yeh, Oh No

A few droplettes of rain raced down the exterior of the window, silently cheered on by the small girl curled up against the door. Her deep, black eyes echoed with pain and confusion, seeming content with such a simple distraction. Elizabeth shivered with a small sigh, watching her breath cast an opaque quality across the window that quickly faded into nothing.

It was cold, wet and tiring to be on the road so much, and the bluenette had to admit she'd never been much of a travelor. Elizabeth only set eyes on her knight escort at night when he returned to the carriage to sleep. They'd already passed out of the large city -the first time she'd ever left it, in fact- and the small towns were always encountered early in the morning rather then late in the evening when they were needed.

Twilight was cascading across the sky; golds and pinks playing across the normally dull skies in a vivid show of beauty. Elizabeth payed it no mind, wondering how much longer it would be before the knight, Murdoc if she remmembered correctly, joined her once more. Though they didn't talk, the simple kinship of loniless and confusion was enough to fill the silence with a sort of friendship neither could nor would express.

Murdoc returned later than usual this one frigid evening, his boots simply covered in muck. He climbed into the carriage, sporting good news for the girl.

"Ma'am. Miss Elizabeth, I bring good fo'tune," he said, sitting a little weirdly in his seat. He waited for her response, and noticed that she looked to be sleeping.

"Damn..." he said under his breath. Every time he'd tried to talk to her on this trip she'd been asleep. Why had he felt this time would be different?

A small whisper of a sigh passed over the girl's parted lips as her eyelids fluttered a bit. She straightned up in her seat, yawning quietly behind a delicate porcelean hand before setting her soft gaze on the knight. Elizabeth didn't say anything, as she'd comitted herself to staying mute until she was aloud to return so as nothing slipped, though her knitted brows and curious expression were enough.

The knight smiled jovially, quickly covering it up with a serious expression.

"Ma'am, I 'ave good new fo' yew," he stated matter-of-factly.

Elizabeth lifted herself enough to smooth down the ankle-length dress she was wearing, sitting back down and continuing to look into the knight's eyes with a tired curiousity.

Murdoc took her look as his cue to continue.

"We'e due to get to ou' goal poin' soon, Miss Elizabeth," he said slowly, hoping she wasn't mentally unstable. After all, this _was_ the first time he'd ever talked to her.

The girl's dark eyes shifted to the floor of the carrage and she nodded slightly, blue bangs falling in her face as she attempted to figure out first, why she was sent out here, and second, how long she'd have to stay. Elizabeth started to say something but stopped herself; head shaking slowly as she drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them.

Of course she'd wanted to talk to the knight, if noly to see what he was like, but she couldn't bring herself to. It seemed wrong- almost as though a deep part of her subconcious blamed this whole thing on him. He was, after all, the one driving the carriage that was stealing her farther and farther from home. A shiver passed through Elizabeth's thin frame as a slight draft seeped in around the door.

Murdoc looked taken aback. Why wasn't she happy? Didn't she want to have a better life than out on the streets? It made no sense to the knight as he took off his boots. "Nigh' then, Miss Elizabeth," he said, laying down on the comfortable velvet cloth seat of the carriage. As he drifted into sleep, his thoughts were riddled of the strange girl, and why she was being so quiet and shy.

Elizabeth felt guilt knot in her stomach as she watched the knight drifting off to sleep. She knew it wasn't the reaction he was looking for, but he had no idea what was trully going on. In all rights, he was completely innocent. She passed a hand over her face, pushing her bangs back only to have them tumble back into the graceful mess they often were. With a small, almost inaudible whimper, Elizabeth curled up against the door once more and fell into a light, almost fitfull sleep.

The knight awoke early in the morning and slipped his boots on. He glanced at the sleeping form of Elizabeth and frowned slightly, feeling a little bad for her. Hopping out of the carriage, the man climbed up onto the bench in front and whipped the reins. As they moved slowly and calmly down the country side once more, the rains started up again, thunder booming loudly above the little vehicle as lightning danced across the sky in a playful way.

Elizabeth was rattled awake by a particularly loud clap of thunder; accidentally letting out a frightened shriek. She coughed at the shrill noise, not having been a good way to break her fasting from her vocal chords and feeling almost as though she'd straighned them whilest making it. Her heart pounded in her small chest as she looked around like a trapped animal, only to remember where she was and feel a slither of relief.

Hearing the shrill noise, Murdoc whoaed the horses and jumped ontothe ground. He quickly looked into the carriage at Elizabeth. "A'e yew alrigh', Miss Elizabeth?" he asked, concern in his voice and on his face.

The girl blushed a deep, obviously embarrassed scarlette; a pale hand that was over her mouth contrasting with the rosey color and only making it all the more visible. She nodded quickly, biting her lip and trying to calm her breathing to a normal in and out sequence rather then a shaky almost gasping she was producing at the moment.

He narrowed his eyes, trying to geta better look at her. He climbed in part way and reached over the gap in the rows, going to place his hand on her forehead. "May I? Yew dun look so good, I wonna check tah see 'f yew 'ave a feeveh," he said, looking into her deep black orbs with his caring, mismatched eyes.

Elizabeth swallowed thickly, inching a bit closer to the knight and removing her hand from her mouth. She averted her gaze to her lap, feeling a mixture of shame and humiliation along with a few other things she cared not to name. "..o-okay.." She barely whispered, eyes closing a bit more as she tried to get a hold of herself.

He pressed the back of his ungloved hand to her forehead, pulling back as he felt the temperature of her skin. "Luv, you'e bu'nin' up!" He said. "Oh, uh, I mean, er... Miss Elizabeth, could I please 'ave a look at you' throat?" Murdoc questioned, inwardly facepalming the disrespectful break in rank.

She nodded, shifting a bit as she whispered, "love's fine.." Elizabeth, almost as though trying to cover up that she'd said it, opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out a bit. She had forgotten about the large gap in her front teeth until it was already too late; closing her eyes and hoping he wouldn't ask.

He'd caught the words and almost dismissed it as just a case of being too warm at a glance at her throat, but did a double take when he saw her teeth. "Wot 'apponed to you' teeth?" he asked quietly, a very serious tone to his voice. He didn't like Rachel very much, and he'd instantly suspected her of doing this.

Elizabeth flinched at the question, lowering her face as though in shame as she replied, "m-meh dad got.. wreally mad 't me..." She murmured, hoping it wouldn't give her away. She was surprised already that he hadn't noticed the blue hair and black eyes, but almost everyone knew about King David's abusive behavior towards his son..

He looked at her, pity in his features as he replied. "S'okay, love. No one's gonna hu't yew 'nymo'e," he said softly. He placed his thumb and index finger on her chin and lifted her head, smiling warmly. "I promise."

Her trembling lips pulled up in the ghost of a smile, tears betraying her as they welled up in her eyes. Whenever she talked about her father they'd always come, as just his name was enough to bring back all the pained memories of her childhood and all of the terrible things he'd done to both her and her mother. Elizabeth sniffed with a blink of her eyes, trying to fight back her tears as she moved forward a little with her arms out just a bit.

The knight caught the cue and embraced her. It was a bit awkward because of how he was angled overthe seat, but Murdoc felt it was comforting anyway. He pulled back and just then noticed her blue hair. "Hehe, wow. Nice tas'e in hai' ca'e produc's yew 'ave," he joked, giving her a good-natured smile.

Elizabeth smiled a bit, feeling rather renewed in her normal cheery disposition after such a warm gesture. "'s, uhm.. actually natuwal." She informed him, her voice still just above a whisper. Though she didn't expect him to believe her, she couldn't help but tell him.

He smiled, fully believing her. Why would she lie about something as trivial as that? "Well, i's very nice," he said, slipping back into the seat in front of Elizabeth. "Ah'll come back when we arrive tah 'elp yew to the 'ouse, okay?" he asked, getting ready to go back to the horses.

Her perfectly shaped face bobbed slightly in a show of acknowledgement as Elizabeth made herself comfortable. She looked out at the rain as the knight left her alone in the carriage once more, wondering if he minded having to get so wet so often. It seemed as though it rained every day, at least since she'd left.

Murdoc whipped the horses once again, getting them moving at a decent pace. At this rate, they'd be there in less than half an hour. Upon arrival, he stopped the horses and gave them a carrot each. He knocked on Elizabeth's door. "Miss Elizabeth? We've reached theh fa'm," he said, holding his hands behind his back as he waited for her to answer.

The young peasant girl struggled with the door, finding it much harder to open then Murdoc had made it seem. She huffed, thin shoulder shoving until it finally gave way and led her into a not as graceful as planned step out. She caught her balance rather quickly, shoving the door closed and turning to face the knight with a small grin.

He chuckled and held a hand out for her. "I'd be hone'd to assist such a lovely young lady," he said, kneeling down in the muck. He smiled up at her, just hoping mud wouldn't get inside his armor.

Elizabeth frowned, then grinned in a more teasing manner as she took his hand and pulled him up. "Come on 'en, git outta tha' mud," she giggled with a soft smile.

The knight smiled and stood, still holding her hand in his. "Why, thank yew, little lady," he said warmly, the sexy beast inside of him coming out.

"But o' cou'se." She looked down a bit at this, a slight blush gracing her pretty face as she felt a bit of a flutter in her tummy.

He smiled and led her inside to the room the farmer had designated to them. "'e said we'd be sharin' a room, I didn't think he'd mean bunk beds!" He exclaimed, obviously confused. But hey, it was a cramped farm as it was, what, with all the slaves running around. Small living areas were to be expected.

"Huh.." Elizabeth cocked her head, wondering who would sleep on the top and who would sleep on the bottom. Truthfully the girl had never seen such a thing, but it was fairly obvious as to what it was and she didn't have to ask. "Do yew won' tha top?" She inquired quietly, small hands clasped in front of her.

"Eh, I sleep bettah on theh bottom. 'sides, 'f somethin' 'appons it'll be easieh toge' ready quickly," he said, taking ofthe soaked through boots he was wearing. Murdoc's feet were pruny from water being on them all day, and he sat on the bed to let them dry out on the floor. "'ese sheets a'e soft," he said. He patted the spot next to him. "C'me'e an' see fuh you'self."

A smile illuminated her face again as she gently sat down beside the knight and let her white-chocolate colored hands brushing along the sheets. "Yeh, they a'e," she agreed cheerily, her demeanor having taken a near three-sixty turn in the last day compared to the rest of the week.

The knight smiled. "'m glad you'e no' as sad as yew we'e ea'lieh," he said softly. He felt something nagging at his tongue, a question of sorts. Murdoc didn't want to move to fast into his newfound relationship with Elizabeth, but he wanted to get to know her better. So, he asked the quistion in a mumbling voice to stop the incessent feeling. "Woul' yew liketah go tah lunch sum time?" He muttered, staring at his feet.

Elizabeth seemed quite preoccupied and only caught a few hints of what he said. A slight grin pulled at her lips as she looked over at him. "Did.. did yew jus'..?" She wasn't even positive she'd heard him right, if at all. It would not surprise the girl if she'd gone a bit mental whilest sitting in the carriage for such a long time.

He looked up. "Woll, 'f yew dun wont to, I undehstan' pe'fec'ly..." he said sorrowfully. Murdoc had thought that Elizabeth was rejecting him and went back to staring at his feet.

"No, no.. ah mean... _no_ ah wonta know.. uhm, eef ah 'eard yew wright..?" A fluttering feeling welled up inside of the thin girl and she nearly shivered at the feeling.

He sighed as a mini-wave of relief swept over him. "Woll, 'f yew though' yew hea'd me say tha' I wonted to trea' yew tah lunch 'en yew hea'd righ'," he said, his face alive with a happy glow.

The younger smiled bashfully, a blush glowing on her cheeks as she nodded. Elizabeth couldn't help but pause for a second, trying to look ahead and see just how far their relationship could go and see how at risk she was for.. well that was a thought for another time. "S-su'e."

The beaming strengthened a hundred fold as the man heard her words. He stood up and picked up Elizabeth in his arms, giving her a big bear hug. "Yew 'ave no idea 'ow 'appy tha' makes me!" He said, a huge smile on his face as he set her down.

Elizabeth giggled, smiling rather shyly up at him and saying, "me too!" She didn't really know him too well, but just since they'd started talking to him earlier that morning he'd seemed like a life-long friend. Elizabeth payed the feeling no mind, too busy trying to contain her rampant blush at the moment.

He smiled."Okay, I thin' we shoul' leave ou' soon, theh town's abou'two houehs away, an' tha' shoul give us plen'y o' time," he said, noticing her ratty clothes. Murdoc looked aroundand saw much comfier clothes on the chest in the back of the room. "Yew ge' dressed, I won' look."

"Okay.." Elizabeth replied in a small voice, crossing the room gracefully and bowing over the chest as she shifted through its contents. She smiled as she found a dress, a beautiful ruby color, and a sash that was the color of cream. Making sure Murdoc wasn't looking, Elizabeth pulled off the dirty peasant dress and started to pull on the crimson one.

Her eyes trailed downward with the edge of the dress and she froze. _Oh yeh.. oh no..._ Her face went blank for a moment then the girl came back with a start. She wasn't a she and he'd managed to over-look that little detail in the relationship.

**CLIFFY! MUAHAHAHA! anyways i wonder how he's going to explain **_**that**_** to murdoc XD **

**anyways as always comments are much loved! and look this up on dA to find it with pictures~ ;3**


	3. What's He Doing Here?

It was an all around cheery afternoon, what with the happily beaming sun, small puffy clouds and gentle breeze whisking past the two on their way to town. The road released small billows of dust with their every step and the grass swayed in delight when they passed. A few birds in a nearby tree sang out to them; one daring to flitter down to a fence that edged one side of the country path.

Elizabeth smiled, hands clasped behind her back as she attempted to hide the growing anxiety inside of her. Had she really just agreed to a date of sorts? That was proposterous.. She'd only trully met the knight that morning and already the two were supposedly on their way to town together for a nice lunch. "Uhm, si' Mu'doc..?" The girl asked quietly, her gaze not leaving the road in front of them that yearned to feel the pattering steps of her dainty feet.

Murdoc looked down at her. The sun's vibrant rays were making her red velvet dress all the more beautiful. "Yes, Miss Elizabeth?" He asked, scratching his head a little. He'd changed from his heavy armor into regular peasent clothes: A cloth shirt, denim jeans, and farmer's boots to be more comfortable and less noticable.

She swallowed thickly, suddenly feeling her stomach begin to squirm. "Well.." Elizabeth started in a small, almost frightened voice. "Uhm.. w-wot e'sactly is dis...?" She inquired, bangs falling into her face as she lowered her face further and watched a turtle take a slow step out into the dirt path.

Murdoc considered the question before answering. "We'e jus' goin' ou' fuh lunch, a'en't we?" he asked, shifting his weight a little nervously. The knight was wondering if he'd offended to girl in anyway. All he wanted was to get to know her.

Elizabeth let out a small, embarrassed noise as she nodded. "W-wright. Jus', ah, makin' s-su'e..." she bit her lip when she realized how that'd come out and paused, happily using the turtle as an excuse to break the tention as she scooped him up in her dainty arms and moved him off the path.

The knight chuckled at the action. He returned to the task on hand and gestured toward the road. "So, shall we?" he asked, pulling out a map he'd gotten from the chest inside. He looked it over and decided that on foot ata comfortable pace it would take about two hours to get to town. Plenty of time for lunch and for the trip back.

The girl gently stroked the turtle's shell for a moment, unable to stop a small giggle when his head popped back out of his protective home and he looked up at her in a confused mannor. She straightened up, brushing off her ruby and cream colored dress then turning to face Murdoc. "O' cou'se."

The man smiled and started off with Elizabeth down the road. After a few minutes of walking he got really bored. "Hey, Elizabeth?" he asked the younger girl to get her attention. He scanned the country side as he awaited ehr response, reveling in the amzing scenery possible when factories weren't around.

She jumpped at the sudden words; looking over at Murdoc with a breathy laugh. "Yes, si'?" Elizabeth cocked her head, continuing down the beautiful path that was, at the moment, winding along between two pastures.

"Yew eveh play 'I Spy'? Me mum used tah love tha' game," he said, turning his attention back to her. The cows on either side of them were making silly sounds that Murdoc had never heard before and it was enough to make him laugh.

Elizabeth pushed her bangs from her face, further revealing her breath-taking snowwhite complexion, perfect turn up nose and glistening black eyes. "Ah spy..? Uhm.. no, ah dun fink meh mum eve' played wif me." She admitted, feeling a twinge in her heart whilest remembering her bitter-sweet childhood. There had been a mixture of love and abuse in it that she would rather not reflect on and promptly pushed it all out of her mind as she waited for instruction.

He was baffled, but shook it off as he went to explain it to her. "Woll, I say 'I spy sumthin' blue,' and den yew try to guess wot I'm lookin' at," he explained. The explination was basic, but the game wasn't that hard to figure out after a few rounds.

"Oh," Elizabeth nodded, feeling rather dumb for not having known that and feeling a small embarrassed blush light up her face. "So a'e yew goin' ta sta't 'en?" She asked, not looking back towards him so as not to display the pink highlights on her cheeks.

He chuckled. "Su'e. I spy sumthin'... White," he said, looking in a random direction to fool her. More moos came from the cows, causing the knight to chuckle more.

The girl glanced around, first in the direction he'd looked in then in a few others. "Uhm, is eet.." Her dark eyes settled on a pretty cumulous cloud that was drifting along on a lazy breeze. "Tha' cwoud?"

He looked up at it and shook his head. "Nope, tha's no' i'," he said. "Try again," he offered, kind of cheating my signaling to one of the cows in the pasture they were next to.

Elizabeth smiled a bit when she notied his motioning towards a cow and put a playful hand on her hip and index finger on her chin. "Woll, ah jus' dun' know 'en, mista' knight." It felt rather odd for her to be joking around, especially with someone she was still not used to being around, yet it felt right. Back at the castle, Stu was never aloud to run and play like a normal kid and was lucky if he got a toy- and that was on his birthday. His mother and father had thought it more important for him to be sophisticated and well-controled, so he'd had to spend his childhood surpressing his urge to play.

The knight caught onto what she was doing and decided to play along. "Well 'en, I guess ah'll jus' 'ave to die with theh knowledge tha' yew can' win a' I Spy." he put his arm over his forehead mellowdramatically and pretended to fall over.

Elizabeth caught his hand, clasping it in hers and saying, "oh no, mah knight is dyin'! Woteve' could ah do ta save 'im fwom 'is tewwible deaf?" She cried, trying not to giggle as she took one hand from Murdoc's and placed it over her heart.

He lay down on the road and coughed pathetically,pulling her gently to his face. "Say 'Cow'," he said, his head rolling to the side as he stuck his tongue out like a dead person would. He was trying so hard not to smile as he lay there, but he couldn't help the little tug that pulled his lips into a smirk.

The girl dropped down onto her knees, small fingers curled around Murdoc's green hand as she let out a fake sob. "Eef only! Eef only ah'd o' said cow 'fore it was tew la'e!" She pretended to sob, which she was rather good at, before continuing, "now wot ees 'is 'eart bwoken maiden t' do wif he'self ifout he' belove' knight?" The words didn't register as anything serious to the girl as she clutched his arm to her chest and tried not to break down in a fit of giggles.

The man opened one eye and his smile grew. He gasped and coughed in a fake portrail of being rescusitated. "Ah'm alive! Thank yew fuh savin' me from tha' horibble exist'nce witho' bee'!" he said whilst sitting up and waving his arms around. "O'ly one probl'm, though."

"Yewr alive! Fank goodness!" The girl cheered, still hugging his arm when the last part of what he said sunk in. She gave him a curious look, blinking her large, onyx eyes and asking, "wot?"

"I go'a eat you' brain!" he said, jumping on her. They tussled around until Murdoc was pinning her down in the dirt, laughing his arse off.

Elizabeth squirmed around playfully beneath him, giggling and pulling at her pinned arms. "Woll, eef ee's tha only way, 'en go a'ead! Eet mah bwain!" She said, over-dramatically going limp in the dirt and trying not to laugh.

He laughed hard as he stood up. He offered her help up and said, "Nah, go'a save theh bes' fo' las'." He looked up at the sky. How had it turned to at least three o'clock already? "I dun think we'e gonna make i' tah lnch t'day," he said, watching the sun get a little lower in the sky each minute.

She was light and easily pulled to her feet, absently clinging to his hand as she looked up at the sun and nodded. "Ah guess no'." Elizabeth wasn't surprised by the lack of hunger she felt as she was used to fasting for days by this point in her life, but she had to wonder if the knight was hungry. "Dew yew still wonta finish tha wolk ta town?" She offered, cocking her head with one eye a bit wider then the other.

He shrugged. "Soun's good tah me," he said, not noticing her lingering hand. He began to walk again with the girl in the peaceful tranquility of the country. Once in town, he looked for the local tavern. "I think we coul' catch dinneh 'f we wonted," he said, gesturing toward the building.

"Su'e," Elizabeth said brightly, only noticing the fact that their hands were still connected when she gave his a subconcious squeeze. The girl quickly retracted her hand, as though about to be scolded, and murmured a quiet apology.

He looked down, noticing for the first time that their hands were ever together. "Wot? Oh, uh..." he said, a small blush forming over his face. What was wrong with him? He didn't blush under _any_ circumstances! The knight shook it off and led her into the tavern, sitting down at a small wooden table near the center.

Elizabeth calmed her appearence on the outside, but inside she was cussing up a blue streak. She'd told herself _not_ to flirt with the knight in any way, shape or form and to ignore any attempt he made at it; yet here she was, having been holding his hand for a good while and just before that flirting to her heart's content. _Eet was jus' us playin' awround_, she justified in her head as she sat down across from him at the small tavern table.

Murdoc called over the waitress and ordered his food; a plate of turkey and a gass of rum. The knight looked at Elizabeth expectantly as he waited for her to order. In the back of his mind he was going over all the possible reasons for her behavior. _Maybe she's just happy to be out of that damn carriage?_ he asked himself, deciding that that was the right answer.

She ordered a glass of water and a slice of bread, nothing more. Elizabeth wasn't very hungry and occupied herself with smoothing down her dress and studying a few of the other customers in the tavern. A number of them were watching her from across the room, though whether it was her eyes, her hair or _her_, she wasn't sure. Then a creeping suspicion found its place constricting her windpipe when she realized any one of these people could identify her for who she really was. The prince..

The food arrived not too long later and Murdoc tore into it. He said nothing about how little Elizabeth was getting as he knew that he'd just make everything awkward with that question. About five minutes after receiving the food, a citizen who'd been staring at Elizabeth called out, "Hey, a'en't yew theh prince?" His outburst caused many others to start agreeing.

"Yeah, tha' is theh prince!"

"Wot's 'e doin' he'e?"

**oh noeh! cliffy! what will our little mis-named prince do with himself now? Stay tuned to find out! **


	4. I Didn Know

A sudden illness forced itself over the small prince, but it wasn't just nausiating. It was a chilling, stomach-churning, head-whirling, complexion paling, tremble-inducing ill that made the poor lad look all but dead. His wide eyes were set on Murdoc, lips trembling as he tried to think of something- _anything_- he could say to him; the illness having swept over his mind like a cloud and hiding anything he could say or do. "U-u-uh.." He whimpered, the bread in his hand dropping onto the plate loud enough for everyone to hear in the utter silence.

The patrons of the tavern started chucklingas more and more of them realized who it was. "Heh, look a' tha'! We've go' a fag in ou' presence, ev'ryone!" one of the more sober men shouted out, earning a loud roar of laughter in responce.

The knight, however, didn't laugh. He merely stared at the prince. "Yew'e... A... A _guy_?" he asked, astoundment in his gruff voice. One of the closer customers laughed and got Murdoc's attention.

"How yew tow enjoyin' you'e _gay-date_?" After the last syllable had left the man's mouth, his lower jaw was met with a powerful fist.

"I'm no' GAY!" he thundered, not getting any attention from the room of hysterically laughing men.

Elizabeth, now openly known as Stuart, quickly jerked back when Murdoc punched one of the men; tears obvious in his dark eyes as he tried to gather his thoughts enough to register what was going on. He shoved his chair back sharp enough to nearly topple it as he rushed out the door- various people splashing him with beer and snagging onto the edges of his dress. Stu couldn't believe this was happening.. not only had he failed his mother, but he failed Murdoc and, for some reason, that simple thougth made him feel even worse. He was now only moving forward off of momentum and trying to stay on his feet as the city ended and he was again on the country roads.

Murdoc stared after the newly revealed man. "Yew, basta'ds!" he shouted as he ran after Stuart. The knight tore through the crowd in his pursuit of the prince. "Prince! Prince Stu'at! Please, wait!" he called in a desperate attempt to get the young man to stop running.

The blue-headed prince was stumbling as he tried to clear the tears from his vision, hiccuping as he nearly fell. The boy found no alternative, letting his weak body slump against the fence as he tried to collect himself. He wasn't sure if he should be more shamed, embarrassed or.. or glad. Glad that he'd gotten that little flaw out of the way before anythign more serious then dinner had happened. Oh, but once his mother caught wind of this he'd of wished he was never born.. "..f-fock.. 'm... 'm a t-t-tewwible.. tewwib-ble pe'son.."

The knight caught up to him and leaned on the fence as he caught his breath. "Prince... Please, dun cry... It'll... It'll be okay..." he said, crouching down next to the crying man. "I mean... Yew don' hate me, do yew?" he asked, completely understanding if the prince hated everyone on the plantet right now.

Stuart drew back into himself, face hidden in his knees as he tried to control his choking sobs. He couldn't believe the knight was even talking to him after that.. "...n-no.." He whimpered, his tone conveying that he fully expected Murdoc to go off on him at any second or to at least dislike him.

Murdoc sat next to him. "S'no' you' faul'. Yeh mum musta won'ed tah protec' yew," he said indifferently, looking out at the clouds. "I dun blame yew, bloke." The knight looked over at Stuart, hoping he wasn't very depressed.

He drew back from his knees and looked over at Murdoc with a heart-broken and fearful gaze. "S-she wouldn' t-tell me why... 'n... 'n 'm sowwy..." He apologized, knowing Murdoc was a famous and popular knight whose reputation was going to be completely trashed within the coming weeks.

"Sorry? Fo' wot? Yew we'e followin' you' mum's o'dehs. Man, 'f I did tha' I woul'n' be he'e t'day," he finished witha chuckle. "'nyway, you'e a good lad. Nuthin' bad's gunna 'appon on my watch," he assured the distrought prince with a warm smile in his direction.

"A-ah guess sa, b-but.. ah shoulda t-told yeh..." He was going to say more, but hoped he wouldn't have to as the prince was trying to ignore the fact that the warm smile the knight had presented warmed his cold, trembling heart. If an explenation was asked of him, he'd simply say he'd reuined the knight's rep. and leave it at that.

Murdoc chuckled."I'm a knight. 'm no' expected t' know 'nythin' abou' who 'm protectin'," he said matter-of-factly to the younger man. "Yew did wot yew thought righ'." Murdoc got to his feet and offered Stuart a hand up. "Bu' I do suggest we ge' back to theh fa'm. 's ge'in' la'e," he said, pointing tothe setting sun.

A sort of cold realization washed over the prince as he faked a weak smile and allowed the older to pull him to his feet. He was a mission. Nothing more. If given the option of hanging out with him for no reason, Murdoc would have most likely turned him down and left. The only reason he at least acted like he cared was because it was what his mother had ordered him to do.. Stu was sure to slip his hand from Murdoc's grip and clasp them behind his back; face tilted down as he gazed at the dusty road with a shaky swallow.

Murdoc looked at him, a bit of hurt on his face. No, he had to be professional. Last time he leta case get too personal... He shook his head to forget and started walking down the road. Fifteen minutes into the walk,the knight began to get tired of the silence he dared not break, so he decided to try and name all the people had trafficed for the Queen.

Stu felt far too awkward and unhappy to say anything for what seemed like ages, finally breaking the thick silence with a small, shaky, "so..." Above them the stars were being revealed, one by one, as the sun's smeering rainbows began to fade away into darkness.

"Beautiful ou' t'nigh'," the knight pointed out, not stoppingto turn and look at the younger man. If he wanted to be sad without good reason then Murdoc wouldtreat this as a business trip.

He flinched at how impersonal the words seemed, almost having to force himself to answer, if only to be polite, "su'e is." He worried his lip, sneeking a look out of the corner of his eye and feeling a sickening knot in the pit of his stomach. He'd hoped, somewhere deep down, that perhaps he was more then a mission, but.. but the way Murdoc had said that left him feeling entirely too helpless inside.

He couldn't takeit anymore when they were almost at the farm and he'd only said about three words to the other man. "Prince, pe'mission tah speak freely, please," he said, standing at attention in front of the blunette, his hands clasped behind his back.

Stuart cringed and muttered, "Mu'doc, pwease, yew dun' 'ave ta ask... pwease, go a'ead.." He absolutely despised it when people treated him like he was better then other people when he was much happier at a humble level of a peasant so he could praise others without making it a big deal.

"Yes, si'. I 'ave sumthin' tah tell yew..." he started, making sure he had the boy's cpmplete and undevided attention. "Stu'at, you'e no' jus' a mission. I really do ca'e abou' yew..." he trailed, hoping his hunch about the cause of the prince's sudden drop in happiness was right.

"Y.. yeh mean eet..? 'm n-no'?" A blush found its way to the boy's cheeks which he knew was out of place as Murdoc could be talking about anything from at least the smallest slither of friendship to, well, _anything_, really. The prince's demeanor hesitantly straightened a bit as he blinked back a few offending tears as he gazed at the knight in near disbelief.

The knight nodded, a smile forming on his lips. "You'e much mo'e 'n tha', Stu." The knight moved closer, his arms open a bit as he offered the other a comforting hug.

The younger grinned and happily embraced the knight, wiping the last of his tears away as he almost subconciously snuggled up against the warm comfort. "'m.. 'm glad, Mu'doc. Willy glad."

He smiled and hugged Stu warmly. "Me, too, mate. Me, too," he said after they pulled away. "So yew dun hate me?" he asked playfully with a smile.

The prince pretended to be disgusted by the knight's presence, stepping back and wiping off his front with a teasing giggle. "Oh, yewr unbawable, y'know 'at? Jus' 'owwible ta be awound!" He tried to surpress a laugh as he put his hands on his hips and stuck his nose in the air.

"Hmp! Woll, I neveh liked pretty boys, 'nyway!" he huffed and turned around, unable to hide a smile once Stuart couldn't see his face anymore. Was it bad that he was easily about eleven years older then Stu and felta little attracted to him?

"Oh, so dat's 'ow it is? Fine! Yew won' git it 'en!" Stuart poked his nose a little further into the air, a sudden desperation clawing at his insides as he realized what he'd potentially gotten himself into. His dark eyes cracked open, looking up at the older knight as he tried to figure out what he was to do.

The older chuckled. "Fine, yew win! Ah'm sorry, Stu! Friends?" he asked, holding out his hand for a shake as he chuckled a little more. He wouldn't show it, but Murdoc was a little worried that he'd cheeswed Stuart too far off.

"Did we eve' s'op?" He asked with a smile, pretending like it'd never happened as he gently took either side of Murdoc's hand in either of his smaller, more delicate ones. The prince was on his tip-toes, seeming to be thinking about something before smiling even more. In a quick motion, he pulled Murdoc's hand closer -the man being pulled along with it- as he placed a quick peck on his cheek.


	5. Cat Got Your Tongue?

The older was jarred from reality. What had just happened? He blushed and smiled as he worked out what the younger man had done. "Why, I di'n' know yew fel' like 'at," he said, pulling him a little closer in a seductive matter. His left hand was placed firmly on the small of Stu's back, his right hand now carresing his pale face. Maybe he'd rethink this"gay" thing.

Stuart giggled, cheeks stained an adorable red color as he smiled up at the knight. "Woll.. hehe, y'know," he felt giddy and unable to unscramble his thoughts enough to form a decent sentence. He was greatly relived that Murdoc hadn't rejected him as he'd expected; the boy having a second-long flash back to the person that had last rejected him and shuddering.

The knight chuckled."Cat go'you' tongue?" He smiled down at the the man. But one question was nagging him: Why did this fine young man choose him? He was nothing special, and he thought that he wasn't very good at making a loving relationship. Well, at least he had looks on his side.

He looked down a bit, feeling a bit too flustered to keep looking Murdoc straight in the eye as he nodded. "Yeh.." Stu never once stopped to think about what he was getting himself into- not only was Murdoc a knight, far below a Prince's rank, and nearly twelve years older then him, but he was a man and there was absolutely _now way_ his mother was going to approve of this.

Murdoc tilted his head in confusion. "Wot yew thinkin' 'bout?" he asked, seeing that the Prince was obviously troubled with something.

"Uhm.. meh mum 'n, ah.." His soft voice trailed off as he thought over whether or not to finish the sentence. The last princess his mother had tried to force onto him hadn't been too happy when she left.. those memories were enough to prove to the prince that relationships involving him were doomed from the start.

He got further confused. "Wot? A'e yew... I-I c'n..." he trailed, gesturing behind him to say that he could leave if the boy wanted him to. The last thing the knight wanted was to make Stuart uncomfortable.

"N-no! Ah mean.. uhm.." He blushed a bit more at himself, biting his lip. "'m jus'.. finkin' bout some stuff fwom meh pas', yeh?" Stuart explained with a weak, almost worried smile. Doomed from the start... this one hadn't even really began yet and already he was chasing off the knight. Wonderful.

"Oh, okay." The older man hugged Stuart closer. "Sorry, jus' won' tah make yew 'appy 's oll," he said, smiling seductively at the younger. He hadn't had this much fun in years.

Stu let out a soft chuckle, letting his own willowy arms wrap around Murdoc's neck as he gazed up at his red and black eyes. He remembered, when he'd seen Murdoc from afar as a young boy, he'd always been frightened by them, but now.. they were one of his most alluring traits. "Fanks, Mu'doc, dat means a lo'." He whispered, nuzzeling up against the older's front as a nippy night breeze passed over them.

Murdoc smiled and kissed the top of Stuart's head. "Shall we go inside? 's ge'in' a trif'l col' ou' he'e," he observed, goosebumbs rising up on his arms as a colder wind penetrated his thin shirt.

"Su'e!" Stu chimed, taking Murdoc's hand and leading him towards the farmhouse.

Above, the moon was glimmering a brilliant snow-white as millions of tiny stars winked down at the happy young couple. The sky, set beyond even the stars, was a deep saphire color; blotched here and there by small tufts of clouds. It was a picture perfect night to remember.

Time passed as Murdoc was burried in a book on the bottom bunk. Stuart was taking forever to figure out what he wanted to wear to bed. _He's jus' gonna change ou' 'f i'. An' i's 'is fuckin' _PJs, he thought to himself, rolling his eyes with a chuckle at the youngman deciding on his fifth item, socks. The older picked up a pair and hid them in his pillow. "The'e, now can we sleep?" he asked, giving the Prince a good-natured smile.

Stu laughed, smoothing down his pajamas. "Sowwy, the'e wosn' much dat fi's me in the'e 'n ah 'ad a 'ard time findin' stuff dat does." He playfully sat down on Murdoc's stomach, knowing his light weight would be nothing compared to the heavy armor Murdoc seemed forever clad in. "Sides, maybe ah wosn' ti'ed ye'," he crossed his arms and tried not to grin as he looked down at Murdoc.

The knight chuckled. "An' wot woul' my li'l Prince be drivin t'wo'ds, eh?" he asked playfully, dogearing the book as he cast it aside to fold his arms in between his head and the pillow. The older smiled wickedly, getting a few of his own ideas. But, maybe the relationship wasn't ready for most of them. So, he set his focus on the much tamer possibilities, instead.

He blushed, giving Murdoc's chest a gentle push. "Oh yew di'ty ol'," he started with a playful laugh. "'n ah dunno. Jus' kinda bo'ed," Stu admitted with a shrug, still smiling down at Murdoc with a genuine affection obvious in his features.

He laughed and mused Stu's hair. "Woll, 's too la'e tah do 'nythin' loud..." he mumbled, wondering what they could possibly do at this hour.

Slipping backward a bit so he was on the inside of the bed rather then on top of the knight, Stuart crossed his legs and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "Hmm.. ah dunno, wot do yew fink we coul' do dat's not too loud?" The innocent prince asked, cocking his head and squinting one eye thoughtfully.

The knight thoughta bit and then decided on a game he used to play with his friends when he was younger. "'ow abou' truth o' da'e?" he asked, looking up into the big black orbs that were Stu's eyes.

Prince Stuart had to pause for a moment, scratching his blue head as he thought back to his own childhood. Nope; truth or dare wasn't present. He took another moment, concluding that it was simply what the title said and replying, "su'e! Yew wont ta go fi'st?"

He laughed. "Arigh', truth o' da'e?" he asked, having a question either way.

Deciding it better to play safe, Stu smiled and said, "twufe." He leaned back against the wall, thin legs still cast over Murdoc's stomach as he gazed over at the knight curiously.

"A'e yew eveh gonna le' me sit up?" he asked with a chuckled, tickling the exposed skin of Stu's feet.

The younger boy laughed, pulling back his legs and quickly perching on Murdoc's stomach. "Nope!" He chimed, thin legs on either side of the knight and hands bracing him on Murdoc's chest.

Nathaniel's father walked around from the field. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and saw that the visitor's cabin still had the light on. Being curious, he walked over to the cabin and silently opened the door. Murdoc, on the other hand, was laughing his arse off. "Fai' 'nough, Stu! Awigh' you' tu'n," he said, not able to see the man on the other side of the room. Nathaniel's dad, however, had his jaw dropped. Elizabeth was on top of the knight, but he just called her Stu which meant that... And they're... His brain essentially melted, the information being to much to proccess.

Stu giggled, leaning down more so he was more lying on then sitting over Murdoc. "Okay, so, t-" He started brightly, but his expression quickly shattered into one of fear and shock as he glanced up to see the farmer that had lent them the cabin standing in the door with a look of pure shock and disgust. "U-uh-oh," Stu whimpered.

The farmer quickly back stepped out of the cabin to go and try to figure out what was going on. The knight turned his head. "Wot's'is probl'm?" he asked, chucklingafter the question was out.

"No clue," Stu replied, trying to sound joking but finding that he felt rather embarrassed and worried about that little 'encounter'. He rolled off of the knight, laying beside him with his eyes closed and a light frown on his face. He didn't like the feeling that was taking over the pit of his stomach.. "Uhm, anyway, twufe o' da'e?"

The knight was not nearly as worried as the Prince. "Uhm... Da'e me," he said, looking over at the Prince with his broken gaze.

Stuart's face seemed to pinch slightly as he tried to think of a dare. "Hmm... ah da'e yew to.." He blinked up at the top bunk, sucking on his inner cheek before closing his eyes again and saying, "ta tell me a bit mo'e 'bout yew. Ah still dun' wrilly know yew too well.."

"Nuthin' much tah tell. Grew up in a li'l village, 'ad a nice mum, good friends, ran away t' join the a'my, ended up he'e, an' now ah'm with yew," he finished with a smile, sitting up a little bit.

"Mkay," Stu smiled slightly, but his eyes remained closed- not trusting what they might, or might not, for that matter, convey. "Yewr tu'n den."

"Arigh', truth o' da'e?" he asked, adjusting on the bed sothat he was facing the younger man as he propped his head up on his elbow.

"Da'e," Stu said, hands coming up to rub at his eyes. He was starting to grow tired, but didn't want to go to sleep quite yet.

Murdoc grinned wide. "Kiss me. On theh lips," he added, not wanting that half-assed cheek kissing crap. He wanted the real deal. The knight thought thhis was a perfect time to ask for an on-the-lips kiss and it wasn't going too fast at all.

Stuart blushed feircely, eyes popping open and landing on the smiling knight. He felt butterflies fluttering wildly in his tummy and smiled nervously, rolling onto his side so he was facing Murdoc. "If yew insis'," he said with a giggle, leaning forward and gently pressing his lips to Murdoc's. Stuart felt rather embarrassed, this admittedly being his first kiss; though he was far too delighted to fret about it. It was like a shock, a pleasant one, that ran from his lips, through his heart and throughout the rest of his body.

Murdoc smirked and deepend the kiss a little by moving closer. He placed one of his hands behind Stu's haed and held it there as they continued. The knight was quite pleased at how far this little "mission" he didn't really want to accept at first had allowed him to come. Sheesh, he had a boyfriend for crying out loud! And he cared not if the other knights mocked him. He loved Stu and that was that.

The young princes' hands rested on Murdoc's cheeks, his own still a deep shade of red. This all seemed so sureal.. so much had happened in so little time and, to the prince, it was almost like magic. He'd always heard once you find the one for you you'll know it- and boy, did he know it. Tentatively, he drew back a bit and let his eyes draw up to half-lidded.

The knight's eyes opened as well and he smiled warmly. "Y'know wot? You' a pre'y good kisseh," he said with a chuckled, running a hand through the Prince's soft azure locks lovingly.

"Oh 'ush, no 'm no'," Stu said with a giggle, smiling brightly as his blush faded to a mere pinkish color. "Sides, dat was mah, ah, fi'st kiss." He added quietly, giggling a bit more.

The knight chuckled an amused chuckle. "Oh, really? Woll, 'ow wos I?" he asked, playful over-enthusiasm in his voice as he looked on with a rather silly look on his face.

"Wonde'ful," Stu said with a laugh, though he really meant it. He hadn't been this happy and felt this good since.. He _hadn't_ been this happy and felt this good.

**and scene! **

**tee hee we had a bit of fun with this chapter and couldn't help but fluff it up XD of course Stu, being the sort of cautious person he is, is constantly plagued by worries, so hopefully Murdoc will be able to snap him out of that and teach him to enjoy life! ;D of course i have no control over muds, so XDD**


	6. Memory Lane

A week had come and gone, the two young lovers just as happy as ever. The weather had changed quite nicely from when they'd first arrived; the sun was forever out with just the right amount of clouds and a soft breeze that took the edge off the summer heat. Nothing too important had happened over the last quarter month, unless you counted the fact that the farmer wouldn't look at either boy and they hadn't been aloud back into the town.

Stuart smiled at the sleek brown horse he was brushing, perched on the divider between her pen and the next over as he took a deep breath. It smelled strongly of musty hay and horses in here, which comforted the lad as he worked the brush along her side. "Da's a good gi'l," he praised as she looked over at him and snorted happily.

His eyes glazed over slightly as he started to drift off into a sort of dream-like trance; memories flying around in his head. Stuart had been wondering how one went about falling in love with someone they didn't even know, when, like magic, a memory flashed to the front of his mind. Oh, he thought with a blink, ida's wroight...

_The throne room was one that framed the pompous man quite elegantly as he sat straight and tall in his over-expensive throne. Everything was garnished with crimson and cold colors, those of the kingdom, which the king's nearly black hair and green eyes seemed odd against. Off to his right, in a less elegant chair, was Queen Rachel; head bowed and eyes closed thoughtfully. To his right in what seemed almost to be a kitchen chair (he'd fixed it up so as not to disgrace his throne room) was his son, the prince, Stuart. The boy was trembling very slightly, eyes bruised behind his thick bangs and small hands digging into the arms of his seat._

_Clad in shiny armor the knight dashed into the throne room, hischest heaving as he came to a stop. "You'... Majesties..." he said breathily, stopping between words to pant. After a few minutes he was able to stand straight again, but not before he saw the bruised up young boy. Poo' Stu, he thought to himself. Why must King David be so mean to his son? He thought no one knew, but Murdoc could figure it out._

_Stuart's bright green eyes sought out the knight from behind his hair but he dare not raise his head- afraid of what his father might do. He swallowed thickly, the choker placed tightly around his neck bobbing slightly with the motion. David payed him no mind, saying loudly, "so wot is dis ah've 'eard about yew failin' a mission, Si' Niccals?" He hissed, glaring down at the young man._

_The knight kept his composure. "I did fail the mission, You' Majesty, bu' i' wos doomed from theh sta't. I did the bes' I coul' with the materials I 'ad," he stated, his eyes never leaving the spot directly in front of him as he spoke._

_The prince's short legs, knees hardl reaching the edge of his seat, swung nervously as he willed his father to let the knight leave. He knew deep down where this was going to end up and the thought of someone else having to.. to go through what he did was unbareable. That particular knight, of all people, especially so. _

_The kings' eyes shot over to the boy and, without hesitation, he knocked him roughly across the forehead with his jewel encrusted staff. "Stop movin' you' bloody legs fo'e ah cut 'em offa yeh!" He barked, turning his narrowed gaze back to the knight. "'n yew, ah fought yew we'e tha bes'? Why tha 'ell'd yew go 'n fock eet up?" Stu was silently crying upon his father's finish, holding his bleeding forehead in small hands as he wished the knight would simply turn and run away before he got hurt.._

_The knight simply stood there, hands clasped behind his back as he fought to not scream at the King for hurting poor defenseless Stu. When it was his turn to speak, he did so. "Si', tha' floueh wos neveh makin' i' to theh troops, an' yew know 'at. I tried my bes' tah get i' tah go as fa' as possible, but those damn 'oses jus' couldn' stay ou'a theh ditch. 'm very deeply sorry, You' Majesty." He finished with a bow and turned to leave. His duty was done, and he need not witness the ruthless King beat Stuart mercilessly a second time._

_Stuart nearly let out a sigh of relief as he watched Murdoc leaving- tears and blood running down his flushed face and dripping off his chin onto his clothing. He hardly noticed his mother's worried and knowing look as she watched the expression on the boy's face; only brought back to reality whne his father hit him a second time with the stick for having gotten his nice clothes stained red._

The scene running through the blunette's head shifted, setting on a later date as he subconciously leaned his pale upper body against the horse and continued to strok her fur.

_The dinner table was large by anyone's standards and the king simply did not understand why in the world Rachel would have invited the knight to eat with them at the end. The rest of the table's occupants sat a safe distance away, the King at the very end with Rachel on one side of him and Murdoc and Stu on theo ther. Rachel sent the younger concerned looks whenever he would talk to or even look at the knight, though she remained completely silent._

_The older pleasently held conversations with the young Prince whenever he was spoken to. It was his training, after all. He politely took food from the plates and passed them down when he was done with them. The knight smiled down at Stuart every now and again to make sure he wasn't crying or anthing. Boy, did he hate to see the young Prince sad or hurt._

_Stu was quietly humming as he carefully cut his portion of the meat. His mother was trying to teach him table manners and how to eat without making a mess and, for the most part, he was doing quite well. As he was lifting the meat from the large plate to his own, smaller one, his fork slipped and the saucy food plunked down on the white lace table cloth; staining it immediately. The king's harsh glare drilled into the boy as he shakily tried to pick it up, only finding it slipping off again. _

_"U-u-uhm.." He whimpered, glancing at his dad only to recieve a rough kick to the side of his leg under the table. The boy stiffened, biting his lip harshly as he manged to pull the food onto his plate. His entire body was tensed up as he resisted the urge to whine or tear up. _

_"Maybe nex' time yew'll be a bit mo'e ca'eful. Pe'haps if dat bloody wonke' ove' the'e wasn' distractin yeh.." David hissed under his breath._

_The knight stood and went to go get cleaning products after saying, "Yes, You' Majesty." He came back and quickly set to work at cleaning up the mess. His body was balancing over Stu's with ease as he finally managed to scrub the remnants of the meat-juice out. He smiled kindly down at Stuart. "'s no' you' fol', Prince Stua't," he said softly, giving the boy's hair a little ruffle as he sat back down._

_Stuart offered a teary eyed smile as he looked up at the knight like he was the bravest, strongest super-hero his eight-year-old mind had ever encountered. "Fank yew, Si' Niccals," he said brightly, blinking over at his mother as she sighed. There was a lot more there then adoration, she reasoned; luckily Stuart was too young and Murdoc to busy to notice. _

_David sneered over at the young man, saying, "ah still dun' see why we keep 'im around. Least 'e cleans up afte' 'imself.." A longer, darker monologue contineud under the king's breath for a few moments before Stuart calmly set his fork down and looked over at him with pursed lips. _

_"Da', c'n yew pwease stop? D-da's no' nice stuff ta stay 'n yew knew mos' of eet ain even twue." He murmured in a small, though strong voice. _

_David's glare shot between the two as he scoffed. "Wot tha bloody 'ell yew t'ink yer goin ta gain fo' standin' up fo' dat bloke, eh?"_

_Murdoc decided it was best not to encourage the young boy to anger his father. "Stua't, you' fatheh knows bes'. Dun a'gue with 'im," he said calmly, not takinh his eyes off the plate in front of his so he didn't anger the King. Poor little Stuart. He needn't stand up for Murdoc, he was only going to get himself hurt._

_Stu opened his mouth to reply but quickly shut it. He'd talk back to his father no matter the consequences if it meant disgracing his only friend, but Murdoc.. You couldn't pay the young boy to be rude to him. "Sowwy, Si'." He apologized to the knight, though whether for his own words or his father's he wasn't sure. _

_"No need tah be sorry, Prince," he told him, passing the younger boy a piece of the fancy bread he wasn't allowed to eat under the table. A hint of a wink and a smile illuminated the Knight's face, but after a split second they were gone._

_Time passed and, between beatings and missions, the knight and prince found time to spend together. Of course to them it was still more of a friendly or brotherly bond, Rachel being the only to see it. Stuart was now the ripe old age of ten, his birthday having come and gone without any acknowledgement. _

_"So, Si' Niccals," he started, glancing across the small pond they were sitting on the edge of. It had gathered along the border of the mote that surrounded Stu's home, making the perfect quiet area to sit and chat. "Yew git ta go all ove' tha place since yewr a knight, wroight?" The prince inquired with a grin as he picked up a pebble and skipped it along the top of the water; shattering the reflection of the castle._

_"Mos' definitely, young Prince," he said, using a long cattail he'd plucked to move the little paper boat Stu had made along the surface. He chuckled to himself andasked a question of his own. "So, Prince Stua't. Yew git tah si' in borin' classes oll day abou' stupid stuff the' 'as nuthin' tah do with theh real wo'ld cos you'e a Prince, righ'?" he asked, a playful smile on his face as he looked at the younger._

_"Oh shoddit," the younger giggled with a roll of his eyes. "Pe'haps yew c'n come wif me on one 'a my 'adventu'es'?" Stu offered with a grin, flashing the gap in his teeth he'd acquired only a short time before._

_He laughed with the young man and agreed. "Why, I'd be hon'ed to join yew! We gonna slay tha' dragon tha's been terrorizin' theh village?" he asked, pushing the boat around a little bit more._

_The prince stood on his knees as he leaned over the water a bit, still not used to seeing himself without his front teeth. "Su'e fing, Si' Niccals!" He chimed brightly, reaching down to touch the smooth surface. Just before the tips of his digits could touch it, there was a loud bang followed by a smashing sound and sudden panic. The prince whirled around so fast he nearly fell into the pond, wide eyes on a cottage not far down the way that'd been smashed with a large, black ball._

_The Knight reacted instantly by scoopingthe young Prince up in his arms as he dashed in the direction of the castle. He held the boy close, afraid of dropping him, all the way up to his quarters. Once there he locked the door and set Stu down. He was panting as he spoke. "Woll... The'e no' too... 'appy with tha' raid... Las' week, a'e they?" he asked, a small smile as his face as he did so._

_Stuart knit his brows, forcing a small, trembling chuckle. "G-guess no'.." His voice came out more as a frightened whimper as he drew his legs up to his chest and hid his face in his knees. Though neither himself or the knight had gotten hurt, the mere fact that they'd come so close to being hurt -or worse, killed- sent unavoidable shudders throughout the prince._

_Murdoc frowned slightly and sat next to the young boy. He put a hand gently on his back as to not aggitate the scars he knew were there and spoke to him softly. "S'arigh', lad. They can' ge' us up he'e. An' if they do, ah'll run 'em through with me sword," he said, pointing to the sharp object in his belt._

_The young boy let his knees drop down a bit and clung to Murdoc's side; face burried in his thick shirt as he tried to hold back his tears. Stu, it seemed, wasn't very good with his willpower when it came to crying and, not five minutes later, he was silently sobbing against the knight's side. He did, however, feel far safer with the older, seemingly invincible man beside him._

_The knight smiled sympathetically down at the boy and put an arm around him. "The'e, the'e. S'okay, lad, I won' le' 'em ge' ya," he said soothingly, occasionally looking out the window at the smoke and fire from all the soldiers down below._

_With that thought in mind, Stuart's pinched expression gradually faded to a far calmer one as the boy drifted off into an emotionally exhausted nap. His small hands remained clenched in the knight's shirt, even after he'd fallen fully unconciouse._

_The knight smiled down at him. How could the King beat someone as cute and innocent as Stuart was a mystery to Murdoc. As the battle thinned out into nothing, Murdoc began to read a book, Stu still clinging to him in his sleep./i_

Stuart was wavering in and out of conciousness as he lay agains the mammal- who glanced back at him every now and again as he murmured and clung to her side. She'd never seen somethihng as strange as a sleeping human; much less one sitting on a fence and sleeping against her. With a snort the horse jarred him awake, dark eyes blinking as he groggily looked around. "..eh? W-wossat?"

Murdoc was standing there, arms crossed and a huge smileon his face. He chuckled and waved a little bit to get Stu's attention. "Woll, good mo'nin', sleepin' beau'y!" he laughed, seeing the yonger wake up and look around groggily.

The younger giggled softly, smoothing down the horse's fur before slipping off the fence and stumbling a bit on his way over to Murdoc. "'m a bi' ti'ed.." He murmured against the older man's chest, leaning his light weight against him. "But, uhm, 'ey Mu'doc..?" The prince started, backing up enough to look up at Murdoc with half-lidded yet curious eyes.

He chuckled and held Stuart's shoulders to keep him steady. "Yes, Stu?" he asked, his smile stilla prominant feature on his face.

He looked down a bit, sutdying the knight's chest for a long moment before meeting his eyes again. "Why... why didn' we wememba..?" He asked, his sleepy gaze completely serious and his lips pursed thoughfully. They'd been so close when he was younger, but.. after Murdoc had left to go to war he'd been afraid of never seeing him again. Even once they'd met again, things were so different..

Murdoc looked down, instantly picking up on the younger's hint. "I dunno, Stu. I guess... Yew acted so diff'ren' than yew did back when yew we'e li'l, an' I changed so much durin' theh wa' tha' I di'n' think you' wont tah be 'roun' me again..." he said quietly, not meeting the younger's eyes as he spoke.

He stepped forward, face nuzzled up against Murdoc's chest and eyes closed as he let his mind crank through what had been said. "A-ah guess dat makes sense.. uhm, Mu'doc.. do yew.. do yew wememba wot ah said at leas'? Jus' b'fo'e yew lef'..?"

Murdoc nodded. "'ow coul' I fo'get? T'wos one o' theh saddes' days o' me life, Stu," he said somberly, his mind reaching back to that date without his permission.

_iQueen Rachel was saying a few parting words to the knight, tears in her eyes as she pulled him into a motherly embrace and gently kissed his forehead. Stuart had been looking through the garden for most of the morning for Murdoc, finally spotting him and running over- bare feet slapping against the path between the beautiful flowers. He skid to a stop when he noticed the tears in his mother's eyes, gaze shooting to Murdoc with obvious fear and anxiety in his features. "Mum? S-si' Niccals? Wot's.. wot's goin' on?" _

_The Knight looked down at Stuart, sadness jumping to his features when he saw his confused expression. "'ey, li'l adventureh! 'ow a'e yew?" he asked, trying to distract Stuart from the situation at hand. The last thing Murdoc wanted to do was make the little boy cry._

_"Uhm.. g-good?" He seemed to ask more then stay, nibbling on his lip as he looked between the two again. Rachel shook her head, unable to take the thought of having to be there when Murdoc inevitably told the boy. "Take ca'e," she whispered, giving him a parting hug before somberly leaving the two. "Si' M-Mu'doc?" Stuart whimpered, knitting his brows with his fear growing in his normally happy eyes._

_His smile dropped and he sighed. Murdoc knelt down in front of the boy and held his shoulders as he looked him straight in the eyes. "Stua't, you'e no' gonna like 'is, bu' I 'ave tah tell yew sumthin'." He waited until he had the boy's full attention. "'m goin' awa' fo' a few yea's, okay?"_

_"W-w-wot..?" His voice was so small and lost that his mother, who was nearly out of earshot, couldn't help but start to silently sob. "L..leavin? Fo'.. y-yea's...?" He whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes at the thought of not seeing his best friend for so long._

_Murdoc sighed again. "Stua't, yew 'ave ta be strong. Ah'll come back, I promise. Yew c'n coun' on tha'," he said, giving the small child a hug before standing back up. He walked over to his regiment and wiped a tear from his eye. He had to be strong, as well._

_The prince hurried after him, clinging to his middle and crying into his stomach. "W-wait, pwease!" He begged, knowing if he didn't say this now that he might never get the chance._

_He knelt down and hugged Stuart. "Wot is i', lad? We 'ave tah move ou' soon, an' I'll be hanged 'f 'm no' ready tah go," he explained, concern in his eyes when he saw that the Prince was crying._

_Hearing him talk about being hanged only made the fear in the boy shoot out his mouth in the form of a sob-induced hiccup. He tightly hugged Murdoc around the neck, whispering out a few shaky words that he hoped desperately wouldn't be the last he told the knight. "A-a-ah love y-yew.."_

_Murdoc pet the small boys head. "Stua't, I love yew, too. Neveh fo'get tha'," he said softly, placing a soft kiss on the boy's head before heading off with his regiment._

_Stuart was left watching after him, knees trembling, eyes and cheeks drenched with pain-filled tears and forehead tingling slightly. He took a shaky breath, telling himself he had to stay strong and feeling the knight's finaly words before pulling out burning themselves into his shattering heart; being just enough to hold it together while he awaited the older's return../i_

The knight lookd down at the Prince. It didn't seem that he knew that he was crying into the older's chest, nor did it seem like he cared. The older pulled him closer into the embrace, runninghis fingers through the soft azure locks as he gave the boy a kiss on the head. "Stua't, I love yew. Neveh fo'get tha'."


	7. The End of It All

The only sound the man could make out above the awkward thundering of his donkey's hooves was the Queen's orders echoing through his mind. She hadn't told him what had happened but he knew it involved the Prince and it was _serious._

_"Go and retrieve him and his knight-errant escort. Do not let them be alone for more then a short time." Rachel had said monotonously, a hand on her thin, troubled face. "Now go."_

If Sir Murdoc Niccals, the most well-loved knight in the Queen's court, was now considered a knight-_errant_, then yes, this was indeed serious. He could see the tree-line letting up, all together stopping and pastures stretching out around him. Farther up on the innocent country road, the messenger could see a large barn and farmhouse casting long, early-morning shadows.

This could get interesting..

~+O+~+O+~+O+~

The Knight was sound asleep in the bottom bunk when an annoying fly just kept pestering him. His eyes cracked open and he swatted at it. He sat up and rubbed his head free of the annoying headache he'd had almost all week. Murdoc stood up and put his boots for the day ahead. Most of the time he'd experienced at the farm was pleasent, but you never knew when you would need heavy duty boots to get the job done. He looked up at the Prince; still sound asleep. Murdoc chuckled and walked out of the room into the daylight to go saddle up a horse fora morning ride.

Stuart nuzzled into his pillow, his previously light sleeping disrupted as he heard heavy boots leaving the room. He'd managed to hold the delightfully warm and fuzzy should of semi-conciousness for a while but decided if Murdoc was up and about that it was time to wake up. He sat up and stretched, ruffling his azure hair and letting his long, thin legs dangle over the edge of the bunk.

The rather small man pulled his donkey to a stop at the gates of the farmhouse driveway; dismounting and knotting the reins loosly as he started towards the house on foot. The moment he saw the afamed knight wander out towards the stable his footsteps sped up and he managed to meet him half-way. "Si' Niccals, ah bwing a c'mmand fwom he' 'ighness!"

The Knight looked down at the man. _Oh, what could he want this early in the morning?_ he thought to himself. "And to wot do I owe theh pleaseh of he' Highness's wo'ds?" he asked, obvious distaste in his words. Murdoc had wanted the Queen to stay out of Stuart's affairs. He was a grown man and should be treated as such.

The messenger seemed taken aback at such a reaction to words from the Queen herself, but he straightened as the prince joined them- still clad in his pajamas. "He' 'ighness 'as o'dered yew tew t' come 'ome, _now_."

Stuart gasped slightly, having forgotten about his mother for a time. "Me mum needs us back 'ome?" He asked rhetorically, the sleep being blinked from his eyes as he subconciously stepped up beside Murdoc and let their hands brush affectionately.

Murdoc scowled at the messenger. "Why? 'm followin' o'dehs to a T!" he argued, his hand grabbing Stuart's gently. The queen wasn't going to distrust him simply because Stuart had fallen in love with him, was she? It was complete and utter stupidity.

Truthfully, the small man hadn't gotten any further information, so he replied, "woll pe'haps woteve' 'apened dat she 'ad ta send 'is 'ighness away fo' is ove'?" Stu intertwinced his fingers with Murdoc's as he looked down at the messenger.

"D-d'yew.. know why she sen' me away? She wouldn' tell meh.." The messenger sullenly shook his head.

"Forgive me, you' 'ighness, fo' ah know nothin' fu'the'. Now if we a'e goin' to get bock to the cas'le on time we shoul' be goin.."

Murdoc thought it over. "Yew know wot? Screw i'. Come 'long, Stua't." The older started to walk back towards the farm house. Whatever the Queen wanted to do with Stuart and/or him was not going to be good.

"B-but Mu'doc! She's me Mum! Why con' ah go 'ome?" Stuart asked, trailing along after Murdoc as he couldn't bring himself to pull his hand away from the older's warmer one.

The messenger hurried to stand in their path, studdering, "S-si' Niccals, yew realize eef ah go back ta he' 'ighness withou' yew she'll use fo'ce t' git he' son bock 'n yewr goin' ta be cha'ged wi't both kidnappin' 'n disgracin' da Queen!"

"Stua't, you' mum wonts tah separa'e us. I dunno 'f yew no'iced, bu' 'omesexu'ls a'en' really accept'd aroun' he'e," he said sternly to the younger man. Turning to the messenger he said, "Tell theh Queen she c'n go suck a duck."

Stu gave him a dumb-struck look, blinking a few times before regaining his voice. "W-woll... 'ow would sh-she know 'nyways..? Loike, wot.. eef woteve' eet was wrilly is ove' now...?" The messenger nodded profuesly as the prince finished, motioing towards their carriage.

Murdoc crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Stua't, theh thin' in theh ba' wos oveh a few weeks ago. Any one 'f those people coul've already-an' probably did-wen' an' tol' theh queen." He was very bitter about the situation. That harpy hadno business in Stuart's love affairs.

The messenger swallowed thickly, interupting anything further the two would have said. "Yew c'n come now 'n see wot she wonts o' yew c'n wait 'til late' 'n 'ope she dun' be'ead yew," he motioned to Murdoc at the end, knowing Rachel wouldn't behead her own son.

Stuart's slightly watery eyes shot back to Murdoc pleadingly. "Mu'doc.. pwease..? A-ah mean.. sepewation is one fin', b-but be'eadin?" He choked down a whimper, rubbing at his eyes and looking over at the messenger.

Murdoc was not giving up. "Si', yew'd 'ave tah boun' an' gag me to ge' me tah leave. Stua't 'n' I a'e happy he'e, an' I'd ratheh die than leave 'im," he said, squeezing Stuart's hand gently.

Stu's thin hand was trembling in his grip as he swallowed audibly and gave Murdoc a wide-eyed look. "M-Mu'doc.. d-dun' say dat! 'm n-no' wo'th dyin' ove', so c-c'mon 'n le's go.." He felt his stomach doing flips as he tried to lead the older towards the carriage and discretely wipe the tears from his eyes.

Murdoc stayed rooted in his spot. "Stua't, yew a'e very much wo'th dyin' fo'. Ah'll le' my wo'd be known tha' I love yew, an' I'd die tah proove i'." He was sincere in his words. But one thing was nagging him. Where was that little bugger ofa messenger?

Tears spilled from the boy's eyes as he looked up into Murdoc's eyes with a surprised but incredibly loving smile. "Mu'doc, ah- Mu'doc!" He shrieked as the man was knocked in the back of the head with a horseshoe, the messenger standing behind him with a scowl

The knight fell forward and landed face first in the dry dirt. A large bump was rapidly forming on the back of his head and he was out instantly, his breathing more relaxed than when he was awake.

Stuart quickly scooped up the larger man, gawking at the messenger with a 'what was that for' look on his face. "'ow else wos ah s'pposed ta git 'im ta go?" The messenger asked flatly as he walked a little closer.

"W-woll yew didn' 'ave ta be dat 'ard on 'im!" Stu scolded tearfully, placing a gentle, defensive hand over Murdoc's hurt head.

"Well, mine as well git 'im in tha carrage." The short man said, talking the prince into helping him move Murdoc into the carriage. Just as he was getting ready to hop up in the driver's seat he recalled the Queen's orders not to let them alone together.. Murdoc was unconcious, though, so the messenger shrugged it off and started the carriage towards the gates.

~+O+~+O+~+O+~

Murdoc lay in his unconscious state for a good while until he silently woke up. It was dark out now, and he figured that since the wagon was stopped that the little bastard of a messenger would be in his tent outside. He looked up at the face of Stuart, smiling a little as he did so. "'ey," he said raspily, his voice quiet so the messenger wouldn't be able to hear.

Dark eyes quickly shot down to his as Stu wiped at them quickly to rid himself of a few tears. "Mu'doc!" He cooed breathily, leaning down a bit and pecking the man's head- which was rested on the prince's boney legs. "'ow ya feelin', mate?"

The older chuckled. "I feel like a li'l basta'd 'it me in the 'ead. Bu' no, 'm fine, mate," hesaid, reaching a hand up to carress the younger's cheek. "'ow fa' a'e we?"

"No' vewy.. we still 'ave plen'y o' time fo'e we git bock," Stu assured him, a tinge of sadness entering his features. He was worried that his mom really would seperate them, but he was sure she wouldn't be able to keep them apart. "'n 'm glad." He placed a light kiss on Murdoc's lips before sitting up a bit.

Groaning, the Knight sat up as well, a hand firmly placed on the place where the little messenger from Hell had struck him with the horseshoe. "Woll, no goin' back now, is the'e?" he asked, his pained gaze focused on the Prince.

"No, ah s'ppose no'. 'n yew wreally shouldn' be sittin' up, Mu'doc. Yewr 'eads still so'e," the prince advised, placing a delicate hand on the older's shoulder.

The knight laughed, but lay back down anyway. He fell asleep quickly, thepain in his head too much to bear otherwise. The Rest of the trip was equally as uneventful as that first night. But alas, all good things come to an end. Once they arrived at the castle, Murdoc knew he wasin for at least a hanging. He was walked in, chains around his ankles and wrists, to the throne room by two humungous gaurds and forcedto his knees before the Queen.

Rachel was seated in her throne, position stiff and gaze cold. "Si' Niccals." She spat, the anger uncharactorisitc in her sweet, soft voice. It hurt her to do this to him -as he'd been much like a son to her- but after what he'd gotten her i_real/i_ son into..

"Yew know why yewr he'e."

Murdoc looked up, a vicious gleam of hate in his eyes. "No, I dun, actually. I wos enjoyin' some time wif me new bes' frien' an' 'en yew d'cided tah bring us back an' yell a' us!" he spat, making a pained noise as one of the gaurds jabbed him in the back with his sword. He heard Stuart crying behind him, but he couldn't bring himself to look at the young man.

The prince's knees were the equivalent and if there hand't been a guard with a hand on his shoulder he would have collapsed. Rachel acted as though he wasn't present, even disregarding the prince's protests focused on the man that'd jabbed Murdoc. "That, Si' Niccals, is a lie and you know it." She said, voice flat and unreadable.

He scoffed, getting another painful jab for doing so. "Lie... Yeh, righ'! You' conce'ned tha' 'm tu'nin' you' precious li'l boy into a disgustin', loathsome li'l quee', a'en' yew?" he asked, a smug smile on his face.

Stuart shuddered slightly, hoping that wasn't what he was considered now. Why did falling in love have to be so bloody tricky? "Mum, 'e-e aint dun' a single fing wrong! Le' 'im go!" Stu insisted in a wavering, sobs bubbling past his words. He knew where this was heading..

"Shuttup, Stuart!" His mother snapped, the boy quieting instantly and stumbling back a bit. "Yew realize the consequences fo' such a thing, do you not, Si' Niccals?"

He growled. "'cou'se I do. Yew we'e neveh much bettah than you' husban' when i' came to thin's like 'is," he said, his steely gaze not leaving the so-called "Good Queen" for a second. "An' 'f cou'se yew wun' sen'ence you' son tah sumthin' 'is ha'sh, will yew?"

Rachel's gaze was sharp and set dead on the knight as she plotted out her words carefully. "He, Si' Niccals, was unlawfully tricked into you' sick li'l game." The Queen explained icily.

Stuart was almost immediate to object, saying, "no ah wosn'! Eef eithe' of us m tha guilty one he'e!" He leaned forward a bit, but the guards held his hands tightly so he couldn't move any farther. "Eet was me 'o didn' tell 'im ah wos a boy so 'e didn' even know 'til tha tave'n! Eef yewr goin' ta punish 'im den yew 'ave ta punish me fi'st!" Tears were filling the desperate prince's eyes. He knew if his mother had to go through any sort of execution with him in it that she'd be unwilling to do another- and there wasn't any way he was going to live without Murdoc.

"Stua't! Shu' you' mouth! Yew'e o'ly makin' i' wo'se fo' you'self!" he shouted to the younger man, getting a harsh hit to the head to make him look forward. He looked up at the Queen, sweat rolling down his head as he breathed hard. "You' Majesty, I accept me punishmen'."

The prince's sobbing was the only noise in the room for a long moment before Rachel stood up and stepped down the stairs that left her standing directly in front of the knight. "Yew a'e to be be'eaded at noon." Her cold gaze shot to her crying son and only hardened. "Yew will be esco'ted to yewr room and a'e not to come out unless told to do so. Go info'm the city that the'e will be an execution," the last part waas directed at a guard that saluted then hurried from the room.

Stu's hands were released and he immediately wrapped his thin arms around Murdoc, crying aginst the back of his shoulder. "P-pwease dun', mum!" He begged but the woman merely bent down and jerked him back up by his hair.

"Fine. Then yew will be the'e fo' 'is execution." She shoved the prince back into a soldiers hands as he struggled to pull free.

Murdoc bowed his head and was immediately hoisted up by the guards who roughly pushed him away from the young Prince. He spent the remaining few hours until the execution in a cramped cell, writing a letter to the Prince he loved so dearly.

_Dear Stuart,_ he wrote, _I know I;m going to die today, so please don't feel too bad after I'm gone. You'll most definitely find someone who loves you just as much, if not, more than I do. Be strong, and wipe those tears away. -Murdoc_

He sealed the letter just as the door opened and four guards stepped in. "I's time, I take i'," he said sollemnly. The guards gave him no answer, they just grabbed him by the arms and drug him out to the gulliotine.

The Queen stared coldly from where she was seated, Stuart being held with more force then was nessisary beside her. The prince was a sobbing, shaking mess and the second he saw Murdoc he realized that this was real. This was really going to happen and after that.. ther simply wouldn't be a Murdoc any more. The thought had the boy close to doubled over as he tried in vein to pull away from the guards. In the background, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered; booing as Murdoc was brought up to the guillotine and put on display. None of them knew the real story but that didn't stop them from yelling things like 'queer' or 'fag'.

Murdoc's head was stuffed into a bag, but not before he sent a blood-curdling snarl to the Queen. They forced him down onto his knees and placed his head into the slot, holding him down as the wooden bar was slamed over his neck. He struggled vainly as his hands were tied. The guards stepped away as the Queen began to speak.

As Rachel listed what Murdoc had done, Stu was beside her sobbing and hiccuping as he tried to get a word in. "Mum! Pwease! Y-yew dun' gotta do dis! Ah love 'im mum, pwease! Why is dat so wrong?" He felt his heart sinking in his chest, upsetting his stomach as the executioner holding up the thick rope glanced up for the Queen's concent to release it.

Murdoc listened to the accusations, shaking his head and struggling harder with each one she listed off. He couldn't let it all end like this, he simply couldn't. The guard heard her finish speaking and received a nod, which made him gladly release the rope with the heavy metal blade that would lead Murdoc to his death on it.

Stuart's breathing hitched, his heart cringed and his stomach bottomed-out as he watched the glinting blade getting ready to bite down on his lover's unprotected neck; ending it all.

**BUMBUMBUM!**

**so how'd yall like that endin right thar? XD we're horrible but y'know yew love us~ **

**anyways if yew guys want anymore yew'll have to ask cos so far i have one comment and that's my rp buddy makin' this! C'mon yall, this has a ton of views and no comments (that count) LOL so c'mon, waste those few seconds of your life that yew'll never get back and make my day ;D**


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